Fearing the World Too Much: Another View of Ebenezer Scrooge

Abstract

ABSTRACT Scholars of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol have traditionally accepted Ebenezer Scrooge’s designation as a “miser” at face value. In this article, the author suggests a somewhat radical reading of Scrooge’s character, which suggests that he has a deep concern for his fellow man, one with which he struggles. Highlighting textual clues from Scrooge’s childhood and his interactions with those closest to him, the article demonstrates that the deeds of the world’s most famous “miser” are grounded in empathy. This empathy, as well as Scrooge’s tendency to view the world through an intensely logical framework, makes him particularly vulnerable to a Utilitarian ideology. Scrooge is not, this article argues, cold-hearted, but rather rooted in indecision as to how he can maximize overall well-being and effect real change. When the reader assembles the pieces of Scrooge’s life in chronological order—as opposed to the order in which the narrator relates them—it becomes clear that he is not transformed at the end so much as unfrozen. This more generous reading of Scrooge demands more than a passive reception, asking us to reflect on our own experiences and assess how these may have negatively influenced our capacities for generosity and kindness.